[thrashmagazine]

Quote:

I'd say try some Senn HD 25-1 IIs...They're a good all rounder, and the bass is nice for stuff like Metal, but it doesn't overpower. They have excellent isolation, and a straight cable (albeit a little short). They can easily be driven out of your iDevices, and will sound good. Although you could improve the sound with the help of a few apps. I'd suggest EQu.

The biggest issue with these is comfort. When I owned them I maxed out at about an hour before I had to remove them and take a break. If you don't wear glasses though, you should be just fine for the time frame you posted.

 
Thanks for the quick response! My questions are simple, but I would like to know if possible:
- Is this recommendation based on sound quality over the Ultrasones?
- Or is it based on portability over the Ultrasones?
 
Also, other recommendations are welcome from anyone (not saying your opinion is bad, I hadn't even considered these until you mentioned them (reviews seem good)).

 

[MorbidToaster]

Quote:
 
Thanks for the quick response! My questions are simple, but I would like to know if possible:
- Is this recommendation based on sound quality over the Ultrasones?
- Or is it based on portability over the Ultrasones?
 
Also, other recommendations are welcome from anyone (not saying your opinion is bad, I hadn't even considered these until you mentioned them (reviews seem good)).

Portability mostly. Ultrasones are pretty huge. I tried using a Pro 750 for a portable headphone a few months back and it didn't work very well.

Sounds quality is a preference. They're in about the same league, but the Senn HD 25-1 IIs were some of the best all rounders I've ever heard. Can't comment on those particular Ultrasones (having never heard them).

 

[Gosser]

Hi everyone
 
I urge for good sound quality, as I really love to listen to music. Therefore I am seeking a pair of new headphones (on ear, over ear or noise cancelling). I am gonna use these at my school at the most, so I don't want that much sound to slip out, so I disturb my classmates etc.
 
I live in Denmark and my budget is about DKK2000, which is about USD350-400.
 
I have been looking at a lot of headphones including Sennheiser HD595, Denon AH-D1100, Denon AH-D2000, Bose QuietComfort 15 etc.
 
My music taste is very broad. From bassy to acoustic to rock - everything, almost.
 
Which headphones would you recommend for me?
 
Thank you very much.

 

[MorbidToaster]

Hi everyone
 
I urge for good sound quality, as I really love to listen to music. Therefore I am seeking a pair of new headphones (on ear, over ear or noise cancelling). I am gonna use these at my school at the most, so I don't want that much sound to slip out, so I disturb my classmates etc.
 
I live in Denmark and my budget is about DKK2000, which is about USD350-400.
 
I have been looking at a lot of headphones including Sennheiser HD595, Denon AH-D1100, Denon AH-D2000, Bose QuietComfort 15 etc.
 
My music taste is very broad. From bassy to acoustic to rock - everything, almost.
 
Which headphones would you recommend for me?
 
Thank you very much.

595s are open headphones, so they'd leak tons of sound. Sad to say that the Denons, while close, do leak quite a bit as well. The D2000 is an amazing headphone, but they don't clamp too tightly. J Money earpads increase the isolation, however, if you want to go that route.

I recommended it earlier as well, but the Sen HD 25-1 IIs are a great all rounder, and they're wonderfully portable. They've got some of the best isolation in the business as well. Comfort on them is however very different from person to person, so if you demo before you buy, that'd be the best.

 

[Gosser]

Quote:

Quote:

Hi everyone
 
I urge for good sound quality, as I really love to listen to music. Therefore I am seeking a pair of new headphones (on ear, over ear or noise cancelling). I am gonna use these at my school at the most, so I don't want that much sound to slip out, so I disturb my classmates etc.
 
I live in Denmark and my budget is about DKK2000, which is about USD350-400.
 
I have been looking at a lot of headphones including Sennheiser HD595, Denon AH-D1100, Denon AH-D2000, Bose QuietComfort 15 etc.
 
My music taste is very broad. From bassy to acoustic to rock - everything, almost.
 
Which headphones would you recommend for me?
 
Thank you very much.

595s are open headphones, so they'd leak tons of sound. Sad to say that the Denons, while close, do leak quite a bit as well. The D2000 is an amazing headphone, but they don't clamp too tightly. J Money earpads increase the isolation, however, if you want to go that route.

I recommended it earlier as well, but the Sen HD 25-1 IIs are a great all rounder, and they're wonderfully portable. They've got some of the best isolation in the business as well. Comfort on them is however very different from person to person, so if you demo before you buy, that'd be the best.

Thank your very much for your fast reply
 
About the D2000 - are these very good, for the price and all, and is there any alternatives to them to consider?
 
I will definitely look at the HD 25-1. How are these compared to the D2000, especially about the sound quality?
 

 

[MorbidToaster]

Thank your very much for your fast reply
 
About the D2000 - are these very good, for the price and all, and is there any alternatives to them to consider?
 
I will definitely look at the HD 25-1. How are these compared to the D2000, especially about the sound quality?
 

That whole Denon line is considered by most to be a little bass heavy (which, they are, but not as bad as a lot of headphones can be). One of the nicest things about the D2000 is they have so really great modding options to change your sound. J Money sells different earpads, and Lawton sells wooden cups for them as well. They're the most comfortable headphones I've ever worn.

The HD 25-1 II compared to the D2000 is kind of hard to do because of their uses. D2000 isn't the most portable headphone ever, and the 25s are one of top recommended portables out there. Sound QUALITY wise, I couldn't really comment because it's been so long since I heard both. But sound signature wise, the HD 25-1s are closer to a neutral sound than the D2000. Depending on how much bass you want, you may find the D2000 to have too much.

 

[AniMuS]

Hey guys. Some time lurker here. I bought some in-ear headphones reccomended by many users on this forum, the Re0 and i'm very satisfied. So i come again in hopes to find more good advice.
 
This time i'm looking for headphones, preferably with microphone (though it doesn't need to be good quality), but if it hinders too much the quality of sound then i'd rather have without micro. The max price would be 100€. Good sound quality and they need to be comfortable for long time use. If it blocks exterior sound the better, if it doesn't still ok.
 
One of the first options that i'm looking is the Sennheiser HD280pro but i'm open for more suggestions.
 
Cheers.

 

[Armaegis]

Quote:

Hey guys,

I'm new here. I was recommened to you by the guys at overclock.net . Anyways, I don't know too much about audio, but I know a few things. I was looking for some new headphones with a budget of about $300 (give or take a few) that I would use with my Asus xonar stx. I listen to mostly jazz and "big band" (don't know if thats the right term), some rap/hip hop, a little classical, and then some alternative. I kind of prefer open backed to closed because I can hear whats going on around me, but I don't care too much. Could you guys recommend me something? Thanks!

I'm a jazz bigband guy myself. My absolute favourite is a vintage AKG K240 Sextett running off a Bottlehead Crack tube amp. If you can find a good deal on a Sextett, you can probably *barely* squeeze that in for $300. Simplifying things though, a modern AKG K240 running off a home receiver is also good and significantly cheaper.
 
You might also want to try a Grado. Since you're new to audio, I would recommend starting with their budget SR60 model or maybe the SR80. They're easy to drive so don't worry about an amp to start. Heck, the SR60/80 are cheap enough you can get two and have fun modding one and comparing the sounds to stock. Check out the first page of this massive thread for ideas:
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/508459/sr60-mod
 
 

 
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I have a pair of grado sr80s but I'm looking to upgrade. my budget is $300, but my main question is, if I enjoyed these headphones a lot (and I did, absolutely adored them for a couple of years now) would it be recommended to stick with Grado (eyeing the 325s), or try something new?

I'm not sure if different brands tend to have similar sounds or what, I don't know much besides how nice these headphones were. I realize this isn't something I can be given precise advice about but if anyone has an opinion I'd be interested to hear it.

thanks headfi

There's nothing wrong with sticking to the same brand if you're happy with the sound. Too often people look for something different only to be disappointed. The SR325 is an odd beast and has a peculiar love/hate relationship with head-fiers. It is arguably the "brightest" sounding of the Grado family, so if you're looking to go in that direction then give it a try. If you'd like to stick to tried & true, go with the SR225.
 
Within the Grado family, personally I would recommend saving up a bit more and finding a HF2.
 
For something different yet slightly similar sound/feel to the Grados, I can recommend the Phiaton MS300 and Ultrasone Pro550. Both are closed, but have that lively energetic feel and I believe each runs around $150 or so.
 
 
Quote:

New here, love the atmosphere.. Anyway I'll make this short and sweet. I'm looking for an over ear set closed/open (no preference) with decent bass and not flat sounding mid/hi for music only (Rock/Industrial/Trance/Progressive ie Tool). Also currently using a USB Astro mixamp for my pc (considering x-fi USB later as I can't fit anything else in my pc). Overall I'm thinking of deciding between the ATH M50s or ATH A900 as my budget is max $215.

Please help in expressing solid opinions in either of these sets or if you think there others you might recommend after seeing my budget.

Thanks in advance!

I would go with the M50 or Shure 840 or Senn HD25 as the safer bets. The A900 has nicer mids compared to them, but not as much bass.
 
 


Quote:

Hi guys,
 
Just joined the community and looking for some recommendation on over the ear headphones. Currently own Sennheiser HD 202 and looking for an upgrade with a budget around USD 300 for headphone and maybe another USD 100-200 for amp/dac. My sources are MBP and Ipod classic. Mostly listen to indie, rock (e.g Franz Ferdinand, Kings of Leon) , electronic rock (Ratatat, Mstrkrft) and pop (Adele).
 
Before this, got a chance to listen to a friend's SRH840 and like sound of it a lot, its just that the headband put quite a pressure on the top of my head. So have to rule that out. Both closed or open is ok with me as i will be only using it in my room.
 
Thanks in advanced.
 
 
 

The Shure 840 headband has caused a lot of grief. You could always try what this guy did...
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/484116/my-shure-840-mod-warning-lots-of-pictures
 
For a similar sound (strong bass, mids not recessed), I though the M-Audio Q40 was quite good, especially when amped. Add Beyer DT770 pads for more comfort and isolation. There's also the Shure 750DJ which is more comfortable but drops a bit in the mids. The newer 550DJ is reportedly in between the sound signature of the 750 and 840, so that might be worth checking out.
 


Quote:

Hey there!
 
Let's start things off with the stuff I'm currently using: rockboxed Clip+ -> FiiO E5 -> AIAIAI tma-1
 
Works perfectly fine for on the go but lacks in certain departments. I don't get that "sinking into" the music, or "floating" along...or just any nautical phrasing that describes a nice evening at home, relaxing and listening to some good music. The tma-1 just feels suffocating at times, like in a small closed room, even though the room's interior is nice and comfy albeit a bit unbalanced.
 
Now what I'm looking for: An Allrounder, since I'm a moody person and tend to switch from Tom Waits to Converge and on to my FFVII-OST in a matter of minutes. (well, I can manage with a bit of a bassy tendency). More open soundstage and instrumental seperation, but it shouldn't get too analytical since I won't be using them for studio purposes or anything, just some good ol' listening fun. And overall just an uprgade to the good cans the AIAIAIs are.
 
Price Range: around 400$

For a "similar yet different" feel, try the HD25-1-ii. This would probably be a sidestep more than anything. For that "floating" feeling with huge soundstage, check out the full sized audio technicas (A700/AD700/A900/AD900, maybe higher if you can find them within your budget). For something completely different, try a Grado like the SR225 or maybe the 325 if you're feeling adventurous. A safe choice is usually a Senheiser, and I would stick to the 555/595/558/598 models unless you want to venture into amp territory with the 580/600/650. Actually, one of my favourite headphones to kickback with right now is the diminuitive Senn PX100-ii. Fun sound, a bit of extra bass, nice soundstage, super comfy.
 


Quote:

Hello all,
Another new guy trying to get some advice from the group of you audiophiles. Let me give you some background of what I am using new headphones for and hopefully some of you can help me out.
 
The Players: iPhone 4, iPad 2
The Locations: Train (1 hour ride), possibly office setting as well
Can Experience: Sennheiser HD-280 (full closed), Koss KSC75 (clip ons), NuForce NE-7M (earphones), Klipsch Image S5i RUGGED (earphones),  Sony DRBT140Q (clip ons), and tons of different Skullcandy, cheapos and a bunch of various earbuds that don't work for me.
 
Long story short about the above: The Koss are what I am currently using for the Gym. They work great there, but in a loud place (train) that I don't want sound to escape they are bad. They don't get loud enough if watching a movie on my iPad, and a lot of music will escape when listening to my iPhone. They also aren't that good (which I understand at the $20 I paid), again really just gym headphones. My Sennheisers are about 4 years old and although they are good (not a huge fan of the lack of bass and overall dull listen), I absolutely hate the cord on them (spiral, 5+ feet). I understand I probably should have an amp, but this is a new world to me and I am not overly sold on the portability of amps (I know they make them). Regardless of needing an amp or not, the cord is a breaking point since its extremely miserable to deal with day in, day out.
 
Music (typically 320 bit rate, some less nothing lossless):
- 80% metal (folk metal, death metal, metalcore, thrash, deathcore): Septic Flesh, Acid Bath, Elysia, Amon Amarth, Ensiferum etc.
- 10% hard rock: Staind, Faith No More, Nothingface, Primer 55 etc.
- 5% rap: Eminem, Hollywood Undead, Jedi Mind Tricks etc
- 3% pop (Top 10 singles stuff sometimes): Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Fall Out Boy etc.
- 2% other: Johnny Cash, Nine Inch Nails etc, basically my other category is a few singles from various artists across the board
 
Movies:
- 80% Ripped TV Shows, 20% Ripped DVDs
- Everything I watch is typically in 5.1 but not HD.
 
I am looking for full closed (but portable) headphones for under $200. They need to be comfortable enough to last for 1 hour at a time 2 times a day. I never listen for more than that and never will. The cord isn't a major deal, but spiral is out of the question. I am at heart a metal junkie so that is the most important listen. If you think whatever I get I would want an amp, please do not hesitate to recommend (just remember it needs to be extremely portable and I don't think I would spend more than $100 more for an amp (the cheaper the better though).
I really wanted Grado Prestige Series SR225i Headphones but they are open and wont work for me (only a select few of us like listening to Death Metal, my guess is the rest of the morning commuter train wont ).
 
My research over the last 2 months has determined the following, but I am not sure so I wanted to find others opinions:
- Ultrasone HFI 780 S-Logic Surround Sound Professional Headphones ($160-170 range)
- Ultrasone PRO 550 S-Logic Surround Sound Professional Headphones ($150-$160 range)
 
Basically what can I expect and should I expect good quality from an iPhone/iPad? Is it a waste of money to spend that on headphones when all I am going to use them on is an iPhone/iPad? Maybe that's why I don't even like my Sennheisers. I am just sick of (and I am sure Amazon is as well) my buying and returning head phones (about 6 different pairs in the last 2 months).
 
Maybe I am just missing the beat and the best cans for my scenario are $201.00, if so let me know I can expend if that is the case.

The main thing you should be looking for right now is headphones that isolate well. If you can't block outside noise, all you're doing is cranking up noise to fight noise which is bad for your ears and will never sound good. The HD280 are actually about as good as you can get for isolation... but if you're unhappy with the sound, the next best (though not as portable) would be the Beyer DT770. While typically they like an amp, the pro80 version should be ok from an iphone. Less isolating but easier to drive: Audio Technica M50, Shure 840/750/440. If you don't mind headphones that sit on your ear, the Senn HD25-1-ii are also very good.
 

 

[Armaegis]

Quote:

I'm looking for recommendations on a new set of headphones under $100 for my PC, of which I will mod into a headset with a removable boom mic and interchangeable cable (example). I will be buying a sound card as well, titanium hd or similar, but no amp for a while.

I like bass. I listen to 97% EBM/Synthpop and Industrial/Metal Industrial, 2% 70's Rock, and 1% R&B/Hip Hop/Rap. Think Eisbrecher, Wolfsheim/Peter Heppner, Covenant, Rammstein, VNV Nation, MM, t.A.T.u, Static X, AC/DC, Black Sabbath, and Tupac.
 
I'm mainly concerned with my EBM/Synthpop and Industrial with gaming after those.

I spend a several hours at a time gaming (FPS mostly) and listening to music while in open mic voice chat but that may decline now that I'm out of college and have to, you know, get a job. I'm also not too keen on hearing things outside my headphones or people being able to hear what I'm playing (in person or over the mic).
 
Thanks for any help.

How serious are you about gaming? Because heavy bass will obscure direction sense in FPS games. Some quick recommendations for either:
For bass: Sony XB-700
For gaming: Audio Technica AD-700
 


Quote:

Hey guys. Some time lurker here. I bought some in-ear headphones reccomended by many users on this forum, the Re0 and i'm very satisfied. So i come again in hopes to find more good advice.
 
This time i'm looking for headphones, preferably with microphone (though it doesn't need to be good quality), but if it hinders too much the quality of sound then i'd rather have without micro. The max price would be 100€. Good sound quality and they need to be comfortable for long time use. If it blocks exterior sound the better, if it doesn't still ok.
 
One of the first options that i'm looking is the Sennheiser HD280pro but i'm open for more suggestions.
 
Cheers.

Maybe the Sennheiser PC350? That's right at your budget, full sized, closed, microphone.
 

 

[variable114]

wow thanks a lot armaegis

 

[Andrew-S]

Hi folks, new to the forum here and have been lurking around a bit.  I'm in the market for a reasonable set of headphones.  Unfortunately I don't have a ton of money to spend on them so my budget is around <=$150.  I'm willing to go slightly higher than that if the extra is worth it.  Sound quality is a concern for me, but I'm particularly concerned about comfort level.  I have an average sized head I guess?  I do wear glasses though, and in the past I've found a lot of headphones to be uncomfortable to wear with my glasses.  So headphones that are comfortable to wear for extended periods of time would be appreciated.  After doing some lurking around a few models that have stood out are the AKG K-240, the Grado SR-60I, ATH-M50, and the Sennheiser HD555 and HD595.  One of the tricky parts is I listen to a large variety of music genres, but it mostly lands in the classical and instrumental rock sorts of genres.  I don't listen to a lot of the Hip-Hop heavy bass kind of stuff, so I wouldn't be too terribly disappointed if the bass isn't outstanding as long as it does alright, especially for the price.  Any recommendations would be appreciated, thanks!
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

[ocswing]

Looking for some help in finding a set of headphones. I listened to a Beyerdynamics DT 990 600ohm over the weekend and really liked the sound signature out of it. I'm saving up money to get a nice desktop rig, but in the meantime I'd like to find some cheaper headphones that have a similar signature. Thinking $100-150 and either over-the-ear or IEMs would work. If full size headphones I'd prefer they were open and had velour/cloth pads. It's a more comfortable set-up for me. Obviously the quality won't be the same going to that price range, but I'm mainly interested in the sound signature that it had. It was a lot of fun and worked well with my music. Thanks!

 

[thrashmagazine]

Quote:

Portability mostly. Ultrasones are pretty huge. I tried using a Pro 750 for a portable headphone a few months back and it didn't work very well.

Sounds quality is a preference. They're in about the same league, but the Senn HD 25-1 IIs were some of the best all rounders I've ever heard. Can't comment on those particular Ultrasones (having never heard them).

 
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/431705/review-sennheiser-hd-25-1-ii - I read that after looking around at these, I think I will try them out. Question though, the reviewer here mentions to switch out the cable, does anyone recommend this or is this for more of a studio type use?
 
 

 

[moocow111]

I probably should have posted in here, instead of making my own topic. Anyways...
 

It has now been a year since I've owned my M50s, and I think I really need to upgrade now. I loved the bass on my M50's, so keep in mind that I'm looking for a lot of bass. I'm not sure whether or not to upgrade my headphone amplifier (Nuforce uDAC2), unless I need to.
 
I've heard good things about the Shure SRH750DJ and the Shure SRH840. How do those headphones perform in comparison with my M50s? Remember I'm looking to get good sounding low bass.

 

[Armaegis]

 
Quote:

Hi folks, new to the forum here and have been lurking around a bit.  I'm in the market for a reasonable set of headphones.  Unfortunately I don't have a ton of money to spend on them so my budget is around <=$150.  I'm willing to go slightly higher than that if the extra is worth it.  Sound quality is a concern for me, but I'm particularly concerned about comfort level.  I have an average sized head I guess?  I do wear glasses though, and in the past I've found a lot of headphones to be uncomfortable to wear with my glasses.  So headphones that are comfortable to wear for extended periods of time would be appreciated.  After doing some lurking around a few models that have stood out are the AKG K-240, the Grado SR-60I, and the Sennheiser HD555 and HD595.  One of the tricky parts is I listen to a large variety of music genres, but it mostly lands in the classical and instrumental rock sorts of genres.  I don't listen to a lot of the Hip-Hop heavy bass kind of stuff, so I wouldn't be too terribly disappointed if the bass isn't outstanding as long as it does alright, especially for the price.  Any recommendations would be appreciated, thanks!
 
 

I wear glasses and have a wide head. The most comfortable full sized headphones I've worn that don't interfere with my glasses is the Phiaton PS500 which is just a smidge above your budget new. I've tried a number of full sized Sennheiser but they all pinch on the glasses harder than I'd like. Grados are an odd duck for me as they tend to hang more than press on my head.
 
I find light-clamping supraaural sets the most comfortable while wearing glasses, particularly if you extend the band so they place more pressure on the bottom rather than top of the ear. The ones I liked the most were the Senn PX100 & HD228, and B&W P5 (this one is out of buget though).
 

 
Quote:

Looking for some help in finding a set of headphones. I listened to a Beyerdynamics DT 990 600ohm over the weekend and really liked the sound signature out of it. I'm saving up money to get a nice desktop rig, but in the meantime I'd like to find some cheaper headphones that have a similar signature. Thinking $100-150 and either over-the-ear or IEMs would work. If full size headphones I'd prefer they were open and had velour/cloth pads. It's a more comfortable set-up for me. Obviously the quality won't be the same going to that price range, but I'm mainly interested in the sound signature that it had. It was a lot of fun and worked well with my music. Thanks!

I can't think of any open headphones which have a similar characteristic as the DT990... how about getting the pro version instead of the "premium"? You can find them for half the price ($166 on Amazon right now) and the main difference is a less fancy housing and a stronger clamp.
 

 
Quote:

I probably should have posted in here, instead of making my own topic. Anyways...
 

It has now been a year since I've owned my M50s, and I think I really need to upgrade now. I loved the bass on my M50's, so keep in mind that I'm looking for a lot of bass. I'm not sure whether or not to upgrade my headphone amplifier (Nuforce uDAC2), unless I need to.
 
I've heard good things about the Shure SRH750DJ and the Shure SRH840. How do those headphones perform in comparison with my M50s? Remember I'm looking to get good sounding low bass.

I like both the 750 and 840 better than the M50. However, I wouldn't call them significant upgrades, more like sidesteps. The 840 is a bit smoother overall but because of that you also don't feel the bass thump as strong. The 750 is more U-shaped in response.
 
If you're looking for an upgrade with strong bass, you might consider something like the Beyer DT770 or Denon D2000/5000.